Beauty From Within: Radiant Skin Smoothie

I’m so excited to be kicking off a new series on the blog, which might be called Beauty from Within or Beauty Food  (still deciding) and it’s all about beauty from the inside out.

One of my big goals at the beginning of the year was to go back to eating well and improve my diet. Midway through 2014 and all the way to December, I had a huge number of personal things going on and the combination of stress and bad eating habits really did a number on my skin, weight etc., so this year was all about claiming back my health.

I’m a big believer in treating your skin from the inside out, and one of the things I introduced back into my diet is green smoothies. This one is packed full of radiant skin boosting ingredients and I’ve been drinking it for the last month and have really noticed an improvement in my skins tone and appearance.

Many skin conditions can be helped by improving your diet and conditions such as acne, exzema, psoriasis, rosacea, dry skin etc. are often affected by your diet.

Several of the ingredients in this smoothie are anti-inflammatory and very alkalising which helps to reduce the levels of acidity in your body and promote healing.

So what are the main benefits of drinking this smoothie?

Reduce wrinkles and other signs of aging – A green smoothie would not be a green smoothie without the addition of some dark green leafy vegetables. I used a combination of Spinach and Kale and some Oranges. All of these come from the Beta Carotene family, which is a carotenoid compound mostly abundant in fruits and vegetables that are green, yellow or orange in colour. The body converts beta-carotene into active vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant it can reduce wrinkles and help protect against other signs of ageing.

Keep your skin moisturised and clear - Flaxseeds are high in Omega 3’s fatty acids, especially alpha linoleic acids which provides your body with oils that help to keep your skin supple, smooth and clear. Omega 3’s are essential to good health and isn’t something the human body can naturally create so it has to come from your diet. Flax seeds also contain ligans which act as antioxidants with highly anti-inflammatory actions as well as phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens mimic the effects of estrogens and work to balance out female hormones. This is especially great for that time of the month and also to reduce any hormonal related breakouts. They have also been shown to slow down the body’s natural aging process, minimize hair loss and enhance skin appearance.

Boost your skins elasticity and help heal your skin with the Vitamin C in the oranges, lime and mango. Kiwi's were also included as they are the leading source of vitamin C in the fruit world which is essential for the growth and repair of tissues in the the body and also helping with wound healing and pigmentation

Improve your skins renewal process with Pumpkin seeds. Rich in Vitamin E, and zinc it helps to fight acne, improve skin tone and heal the skin. It also contains high levels of omega 3 and 6, which is important to help your skin retain its moisture.

The coconut water is loaded with potassium and electrolytes, which help your skin cells, get the water they need to stay hydrated.

Improve your skins tone, density and general appearance with Avocados, which are high in alpha oleic acids. Specifically Omega 9, which helps to maintain moisture in the epidermal layer of your skin, helping to make it soft and hydrated. It also plays a part in regenerating damaged skin cells and reducing facial redness and irritation.

Achieve a bright and glowing complexion from the high number of nutrients in the cucumber. It’s packed with vitamin A, C and folic acid to boost your skins tone. It also contains silica, which reduces the aging process and promotes hair shine and growth

All this and more, plus I think it tastes a little bit like a healthy citrusy popsicle (not the best description I know but you get the gist, it’s actually quite nice).  And that’s just scratching the surface of all the different benefits we can get through consuming a higher level of nutrients from our diet.

Recipe

Ingredients

A handful of both spinach and kale roughly about a cup of each. – I used baby kale, which is milder.

1 small avocado

1 kiwi

½ a cucumber

½ a cup mango

1 -2 cups coconut water (or water) – you can add a bit more depending on how thick you like your smoothies

1 orange – fruit and zest. This gives it a nice citrusy flavour

½ a lime – fruit

2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds

1-2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds

A small piece of ginger (optional but it gives it a nice zing)

Instructions

1. Put your spinach into the blender first, it helps if this is the closest to the blade to ensure it blends as smoothly as possible
2. Add the rest of the ingredients
3. Blend till smooth
4. Drink and enjoy all the beauty benefits